The present invention relates to a connecting structure for connecting a flat cable and wires through a bus bar in a conductive manner, for example, a connecting structure applied to an electrical connection of a steering apparatus in an automotive vehicle.
Generally, since a flat cable is constituted by a plurality of thin conductor portions, and a thin flexible resin film covering both surfaces of the conductor portions, it is weak against an external force. Accordingly, it is hard to directly connect the flat cable and the wires disposed in an outer portion, so that the flat cable and the wires are connected through the bus bar.
A connecting structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-267087 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
A flat cable 102 and a wire 103 are connected through a bus bar 101. The bus bar 101 has four terminals 101a and a connecting portion 101b integrally connecting between the respective terminals 101a. The terminals 101a are disposed in parallel at a fixed interval.
A conductor portion 2a of the flat cable 102 is welded to an end of the terminal 101a. A core wire 103a of a wire 103 is welded to the other end of the terminal 101a. An area (an area surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1B) from an end portion of a coated portion 102b of the flat cable 102 to an end portion of a coated portion 103b of the wire 103 including the bus bar 101 is coated by a resin 100 by means of an insert molding. The connecting portion 101b is cut away after the insert molding, so that a mutual connection between the terminals 101a is broken. Accordingly, the conductor portion 102a of the flat cable 102 and the core wire 103a of the wire 103 are conducted one by one.
In the connecting structure mentioned above, it is known that the terminal before connection is previously arranged in the case body by an insert molding (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-102337).
However, in the connecting structure mentioned above, the flat cable 102 and the wire 103 are positioned and fixed with respect to the bus bar 101 (the terminal 101a) by an insert molding. Accordingly, an insert molding process is required, so that an easiness of an assembly is deteriorated due to an increase of a number of the processes. Further, since the insert molding is required, a cost increase is involved.